Cheap Date Night Ideas in Philadelphia, PA

Cheap date nights in Philadelphia, PA under $30/person include Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University ($22), Barnes Foundation ($30), Bartram's Garden (Free), Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site ($21), and Elfreth's Alley (Free). Look for weeknight specials and happy hour deals to stretch your budget further.

26 places12 freeOct 2026
Independence Blue Cross RiverRink

Skating in winter, roller rink in summer

101 S Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106 · Winterfest: Mon-Thu 1-9:30pm, Fri-Sun 11am-12:30am; Summerfest: seasonal

$5
Spruce Street Harbor Park

Free hammocks on the river

301 S Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106 · Mon-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 11am-10pm

Free
Bartram's Garden

Free 50-acre garden — locals know, tourists don't

5400 Lindbergh Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19143 · Daily dawn to dusk; house tours by appointment

Free
Independence National Historical Park

Free Junior Ranger booklets + Liberty Bell

143 S 3rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106 · Visitor Center: daily 8:30am-5pm; sites vary · Ages 0+

Free
Wissahickon Environmental Center

Free nature center 20 minutes from downtown

300 Northwestern Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118 · Tue-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm, closed Mon · Ages 0+

Free
Betsy Ross House

Meet costumed Betsy Ross, 30 minutes

239 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19106 · Daily 10am-5pm · Ages 0+

$12
Philadelphia Museum of Art

Rocky steps outside, Renoir and Duchamp inside. Pay-what-you-wish Friday nights.

2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19130 · Mon 10am-5pm, Thu-Sun 10am-5pm, Fri until 8:45pm, closed Tue-Wed

$30
Reading Terminal Market

DiNic's roast pork + Bassetts ice cream since 1893

51 N 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107 · Daily 8am-6pm

Free entry
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site

Al Capone's cell + Steve Buscemi audio tour

2027 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19130 · Daily 10am-5pm (last entry 4pm), Mar-Nov

$21
Spruce Street Harbor Park

Free hammocks on the river at sunset

301 S Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106 · Sun-Thu 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm (seasonal, May-Sep)

Free entry
Barnes Foundation

181 Renoirs in the room Barnes designed

2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19130 · Thu-Mon 11am-5pm, closed Tue-Wed

$30
Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania

Always free, always different

118 S 36th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 · Wed-Sun 11am-6pm, closed Mon-Tue

Free
Mutter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia

Einstein's brain + swallowed objects collection

19 S 22nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19103 · Wed-Mon 10am-5pm, closed Tuesdays

$20
Mural Arts Philadelphia

More murals than any city in the world

Citywide (tour hub: 1727 Mt Vernon St, Philadelphia, PA 19130) · Always accessible (outdoor); guided tours by schedule

Free (self-guided); $25 (guided tours)
Elfreth's Alley

Continuously lived in since 1702

126 Elfreth's Alley, Philadelphia, PA 19106 · Always accessible (street); museum Thu-Sun 12-5pm

Free
Penn Museum

3,200-year-old sphinx for $18

3260 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 · Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, First Wed until 8pm, closed Mon

$18
Liberty Bell Center

Free, no ticket, 20 minutes

526 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106 · Daily 9am-5pm

Free
Independence Hall

Washington's chair is still in the room

520 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106 · Daily 9am-5pm, tours every 15-20 min

Free
Betsy Ross House

Tiny 1740 row house, costumed Betsy Ross

239 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19106 · Daily 10am-5pm

$12
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

Oldest natural science museum in the Americas

1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19103 · Mon-Fri 10am-4:30pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm

$22
Independence Seaport Museum

Board a real cruiser and submarine

211 S Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106 · Daily 10am-5pm

$23
Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

Free Saturdays, under 12 always free

101 S Independence Mall E, Philadelphia, PA 19106 · Thu-Tue 10am-5pm, closed Wed

$20
Wagner Free Institute of Science

Free — 100,000+ specimens in a Victorian museum that hasn't changed since the 1890s.

1700 W Montgomery Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19121 · Tue-Fri 9am-4pm, closed Sat-Mon

Free
Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center

A 17th-century-style Japanese house in Fairmount Park — koi pond, tea garden, and sliding screens.

114 Horticultural Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19131 · Wed-Fri 11am-4pm, Sat-Sun 11am-5pm (Apr-Oct); limited winter hours

$12
Wyck

Same family lived here from the 1690s to the 1970s — oldest rose garden in North America.

6026 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19144 · Thu-Sat 12-4pm (Apr-Dec)

$8
Fu-Wah Mini Market

Best banh mi in Philadelphia for $4 — from a corner store in West Philly.

810 S 47th St, Philadelphia, PA 19143 · Daily 6:30am-8pm

$4